The explanation of kinetic drawing is the interactive movement of an organism (tree/ME) moved by the natural element (wind/walking) through an agent (ME) by attaching a weighted drawing medium to the tree/MR, hung over a drawing board with cotton rag paper. The movement initiated by the wind/walking will swing, dance and move the drawing medium over the paper, which will collect the physical acts as a visual dialogue, a poetry of sorts created by all these elements coming together.

Below is the resulting drawing from my morning walk of 3km for 26mins around and around Pratten Park

Above: Billy Can motion drawings, each varying in distance walked, held and time captured

The artistic exploration of (human) space, by means of walking as a sensorial and kinesthesic experience is not new as there are many famous historical walkers as Albrecht Dürer [1471 – 1528], Joseph Beuys [1921-1986], Luis Baragan [1902-1988]. Who’s participation in this kinesthesic aesthetic within our urban fabric poses little invention. Walking as observation, a stimulus related to space in a cognitive dimension of the urban space articulates itself in a personalized urban layer a kind of choreographic drawing.
Walks transformed into art works, art works transformed into walks become “philosophical paths” for the walker, with the continuous, swinging movement, the flux of walking as the agent of drawing. A performance with the intent of viewing art (in a gallery, museum) literally stepping out as the viewer and as the creator.

Walking leaves little traces, never straight, the landscape approaching the walker is carried along by the mapped out streets or the rows and walls of art in a gallery. Little is left behind after the experience except tracks of thoughts so the idea of simple photographs or drawings during such a walk is clearly not enough: an object cannot compete with an experience. This is why this subjective experience uses the process of the LANDscan, taken during a walk , collecting the experience of the walk as landscape and that of sensuous engagement of the residue of the past, a semiotic reading. Plus by using a walking app that GPS tracks the walks, that are later are transformed into traced map drawings (2D and 3D) of the experience. All the while another drawing is being created of the physical motion of walking and viewing art. This is created within a handheld billy can that supports a pendulum pen that draws each every movement of every walk, each never being the same.

ART of Tennis: ART: Two courts, one game of four volleys each

Above is two different games of a doubles tennis game last Sunday afternoon at the Villa. It traces the movement of the ball and players of 4 volley’s within an entire game of hour. This is but a snippet of how the players and balls moved through space, creating a drawing of engagement with themselves, the game and the landscape.

Is their a design in how we move through time, space and our landscape?

Today, I decided to put this to the test, today my only intent was to go to the Museum of Contemporary Art in the City and view the art on exhibition without considering my movements except in the direction of my purpose to view ART. Below are three images taken on the day of my walking with ONLY this intent. So is there design or a pattern in our movements that have boarder intentions? Tracking my movements through the landscape rather than with the intention of creating a new landscape, actually has done just that making ART from viewing ART!!

After all it is the ART as Landscape : Landscape of ART that I am interested in.

Below image 1: is the entire journey from Thirning Villa, Ashfield on the train to Circular Quay with a walk around the Harbour to the MCA, it includes being in the gallery and my return to Thirning Villa, Ashfield.

ART of viewing: Journey

Below image 2: is the walking pattern of my intent to view ART. Captured are my movements in the gallery from one work of viewing to another and one floor to the next. This is overlaid with the walk from the train moving from the station of Circular Quay and the walk along the harbour to the MCA

ART as viewing : viewing as ART

Below image 3: this is the walk only within the gallery with its outline overlaid tracing my movements in viewing art……..

Today I was to create (draw) an edible garden. I did many designs and variations of garden beds and fruit trees, complemented by pathways and mature trees. Access was from the side verandah so as a kitchen garden perfectly positioned with little steps for harvesting when necessary.

However while walking in the garden it occurred to me that maybe my time and energy would be best spent by walking to the markets and turn this valuable ground into other leisurely pursuits……

This means I could help raise the neighbour’s investments by drawing a Tennis Court of two I will create a different kind of asset to just food production, is this not our modern world as we give over our land to the suburban value of urban-ism which seems to all more worthy than that of growing FOOD??!!!

A secret garden close to the house, but not directly attached beside the orchard but behind the vegetable garden. I believe that a house is just a house until absorbed into a garden, only then can you call it a home.

Below is my purposeful walk through the secret garden of Thirning Villa, it has 4 distinct walks like a labyrinth each crosses the paths of the other. I walked this walk a number of times today to take in the new plantings and the dance the paths. In the first drawing you will see I have captured each path separately and each drawing that follows I have captured the essence of the rhythm of the paths that create a sense of wonderment in any garden. This is the place I wish to be when the days seems insurmountable with worry and money problems in a garden tending the plants, nurturing and growing them as I did my own children………I am with my own thoughts today.

Walking with purpose this morning with the sole intent of creating a Grand Garden for the villa. Commencing with an orchard of various mature citrus protected by a hedged wind break. The smell of citrus is in the air as you move through the 4 rows of twelve trees.

Walking 1.23km for 16.17mins and stepping 1.9K steps

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Nicole Voevodin-Cash

I am an Australian Artist, Designer and Landscaper. This blog maps the various residential research projects I have undertaken over the past 15 years in Australia and Overseas. Exploring the concept of art as landscape and landscape as art and now while undertaking a residency in Sydney I have found the time to reflect and share these unique landscapes, my work and experiences that have inspired me.
Let me know what you think.